Honda's V-6-poweredpickup truck will make its Canadian debut at the Montreal International AutoShow in January, 2005, bearing the Ridgeline name.
Ridgeline willbe the latest Japanese product to try to crack the stranglehold that GM, Fordand Dodge have the large pickup market, and Honda officials hope to have moresuccess than either Nissan or Toyota
Honda announcedthe name recently, but declines to give out an exact photo of the four-door,four-wheel-drive truck. The best they would do is an updated version of theconcept version with a new paint scheme and a new wheel and tire package.
According toRichard Jacobs of Honda Canada, ''Ridgeline is a next-generation truck thattakes the utility and versatility of an open bed truck and adds a new dimensionof dynamic performance, integrated styling and packaging efficiency previouslyunattainable in traditional body-on-frame trucks.''
Jacobs adds thatthe name was chosen to ''emphasize the vehicle's adventurous spirit and truckcapabilities.''
Ridgeline will ''takeadvantage of the industry's first fully integrated, closed-box frame withunibody construction.'' Jacobs says, ''to deliver superior ride, handling andpackaging efficiency along with half-ton payload capacity and significantlystronger body rigidity versus traditional body-on-frame trucks.''
For hauling, theRidgeline features a 1,524-mm bed with ''minimal'' wheel arch intrusion thatJacobs says is designed to carry a wide variety.
Inside, theRidgeline will feature a five-passenger interior in what Jacobs says is a moremaneuverable and garageable mid-size truck package.
''Utilizing afour-wheel independent suspension mounted to a highly rigid body,'' saysJacobs, ''the Ridgeline will deliver superior handling and ride comfort versusother trucks in its class.''
Ridgeline will runon a 3.5-liter V-6 and a five-speed automatic transmission sending power to afully automatic 4-wheel drive system.
Jacobs promisesRidgeline will also come with ''a long list of standard safety featuresincluding four-wheel anti-lock brakes, side curtain airbags and VehicleStability Assist (VSA) with traction control.
Complete detailson the Ridgeline will be available at the auto shows in early January.
photo:Honda Canada
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Honda announcedthe name recently, but declines to give out an exact photo of the four-door,four-wheel-drive truck. The best they would do is an updated version of theconcept version with a new paint scheme and a new wheel and tire package.
According toRichard Jacobs of Honda Canada, ''Ridgeline is a next-generation truck thattakes the utility and versatility of an open bed truck and adds a new dimensionof dynamic performance, integrated styling and packaging efficiency previouslyunattainable in traditional body-on-frame trucks.''
Jacobs adds thatthe name was chosen to ''emphasize the vehicle's adventurous spirit and truckcapabilities.''
 |
For hauling, theRidgeline features a 1,524-mm bed with ''minimal'' wheel arch intrusion thatJacobs says is designed to carry a wide variety.
Inside, theRidgeline will feature a five-passenger interior in what Jacobs says is a moremaneuverable and garageable mid-size truck package.
''Utilizing afour-wheel independent suspension mounted to a highly rigid body,'' saysJacobs, ''the Ridgeline will deliver superior handling and ride comfort versusother trucks in its class.''
Ridgeline will runon a 3.5-liter V-6 and a five-speed automatic transmission sending power to afully automatic 4-wheel drive system.
Jacobs promisesRidgeline will also come with ''a long list of standard safety featuresincluding four-wheel anti-lock brakes, side curtain airbags and VehicleStability Assist (VSA) with traction control.
Complete detailson the Ridgeline will be available at the auto shows in early January.
photo:Honda Canada
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